


Red Skies

by odat



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Sky Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-15
Updated: 2013-01-15
Packaged: 2017-11-25 14:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/639710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/odat/pseuds/odat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sky skip has captured a cloud child with wild red eyes and Maka swears that she will rescue him. SoMa. Smut omake to follow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Skies

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Big thanks to Katlizabeth for reading this for me. Don’t own.

**Red Skies: The Ghost Ships and the Cloud Child**  
  
 _Red sky in the morning_  
 _Sailors take warning_  
 _Red sky at night_  
 _Sailors delight_  
  
“The ghost ships are sailing.” She watched from the ground wondering what it would be like aboard. The wind was harsh on her face and whipped her pigtails about but Maka continued to watch the ships emerge from the haze. The last ship was cloud dense, trailing cirrus and floating on stratus clouds. The ship was raining.  
  
“They must have a cloud child.” Maka watched horrified as she spotted a figure bound to the top of the mast. His hair blended into the clouds pouring off his shoulders as he struggled. The ship drew closer and even though the distance was still vast between her and the ship, her eyes met with the wild red eyes of the captive cloud child. He couldn’t have been more than two years older than her.  
  
“I have to help him!”  
  
“And how will you do that? That’s a ghost ship, you’ll never be able to find it again.”

  
A fog was gathering in the meadow, the cloud child’s eyes were wide and they never left hers. “I’ll find him because I have to.” The ship passed over them, the rain dampening Maka’s face, she didn’t bother to hide her tears, that boy, that cloud child, she’d find him and she would save him.

  
“Well you’ve got your work cut out for you.” Her mother said solemnly.

  
\--

  
The streets were busy, even for an international port there were more people than usual, more languages being yelled, more colors and fashions, more foods than could be tasted in a lifetime. Maka didn’t notice any of it; there had been rumors that the ghost ships would dock soon to trade. The sky ports were on high alert for any unusual traffic or cloud formations while the sea port went about its usual business. There were hundreds of stairs, ladders and platforms to navigate to get to the sky port. Soldiers patrolled each level and the entrances to every docking bay to keep unauthorized visitors and travelers out but even they stepped aside and bowed their heads when the young woman went by.  
  
It had been nearly four years since she had seen the boy with white hair. She had caught up to the ghost ships only to have them disperse to go their separate ways. This was going to be the first time the armada was back, or so the rumors said. Maka had studied every text she could find hoping to better understand the ghost ships, but little was known about them. They weren’t like normal sky vessels, they didn’t run on solar energy or even lunar, they simply seemed to exist in the skies taking in lost souls when they docked. Those who joined a ghost ship crew were never seen on the ground ever again. Each ship had its own agenda and ethical code of conduct, but none of the ten identical ships were named which made them difficult to track as well as log information about them.  
  
Old reports spoke about one of the ships going rogue and two others joining it over the years and attacking other sky ships. Maka’s contact in the Royal Sky Navy had informed her that the first rogue ship was probably why the rest of the fleet was gathering, the newest reports that detailed the attacks practically dripped with blood. Sky pirates were not to be tolerated by any ship or nation. She could only hope that the rogue ship was not the one with the cloud child aboard.

  
She reached the second highest checkpoint of the sky port and flashed her papers. The guard’s face paled as he realized who she was. She continued up to where she knew the Master of the Port would be.  
  
“Are they here yet Sid?” He had his back to her, a long blue coat billowing out behind him. Her own stark white uniform was tightly tailored but the small vent in the back of her blazer snapped in the wind. Her hair was as wild as the first time she’d seen the ships.

  
“Not yet Maka, but soon.” He glanced at the young woman who had come to stand next to him, she’d grown up well and from the determined set of her jaw she was her mother’s daughter. “You still looking for the cloud child?” Maka nodded, eyes scanning the horizon, the sun would be rising soon.  
  
“Slavery is not acceptable, let alone the kidnapping of a cloud child. They’re meant to be free.” She had repeated that line more than she could remember. The morning sky was already turning red, “Sailors take warning.” She muttered under her breath. “A storm is coming Sid and it isn’t going to be good.”  
  
The Port Master nodded, “you wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with that storm would you?” Maka smirked and scanned the sky one more time.  
  
“Which storm?”  
  
“Good answer mage.” Sid turned to leave, “Maka, be careful. These ships aren’t the same, their morals are changing and you know they’ve always done as they pleased.” They both knew her plan of joining the crew of a ghost ship to find the cloud child was a long shot but Maka was sure it would work.  
  
“That’s the idea Sid. I’ve made a name for myself for several reasons.” She turned to grin at him. “The foremost being, I want them to want the most powerful weather meister on their ship.” She laughed as Sid shook his head. “I’m too valuable to kill, Sid. But thank you.” She stood with her hands clasped behind her back as the sun continued to rise. The sky was crimson.  
  
The storm broke at ten. Violent winds had the sky ships reeling and sea ships avoiding port. The rain was coming down in sheets, cold and sharp on the necks of those trying to secure the ships. Maka stood on the outlook grinning through the rain. It was hardly above freezing and her uniform was drenched through, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care, the winds were strong and carrying something heavy from the North. The ghost ships were on their way.  
  
Sid finally convinced Maka to come in out of the weather at half past one. She was alarmingly pale and shivering violently despite her grin and reassurances that she was fine. She hadn’t been able to feel any unusual clouds through the storm but she was finally in the right place at the right time. The ghost ships were coming and she would be leaving with them, no matter what. Sid had placed her down in front of the fire in his office to warm up and dry off but she was too focused on watching the large bay window for any signs in the sky of more ships to worry about the state of her clothes.  
  
She’d dozed off in the evening in an old leather arm chair before a great roll of thunder shook her awake. The storm was even worse, enormous black clouds blanketed the sky and the temperature had plummeted. She was glad she’d pulled one of her great black overcoats from her trunk before heading back into the storm, the rain was so cold Maka was surprised it wasn’t ice.  
  
She sent out her own winds to feel where the center of the storm was and if there were any ships coming, the storm winds were rough and they howled past her taunting her to try and tame them. Storm winds and storms used different magic than just normal weather magic; they were fierce and never stopped fighting. Maka didn’t ignore the winds, she watched how they moved to guide her own wind through the storm, dancing through the rain and around the lighting until she could feel the clouds.  
  
Her concentration faltered and she lost her wind when she brushed against one of the thunder heads. A bolt of lightning ripped across the sky and the thunder that followed echoed twice through the port. “Sid they’re here!” Maka hoped her excited yell got to him. She could feel them now, sailing through the clouds and on top of the storm, seven ships pursuing and corralling an eighth. The rain was beating down as Sid ran to stand next to her.  
  
There was another crash of thunder but Maka shook her head and grinned. “Cannons. They have the rogue ship.” Sid paled.  
  
“The ghost ships are fighting over our port? I won’t have it!” Aerial battles ended badly and messily and if they crashed into the sky port it would take months to rebuild. In the past year two of the three rogue ghost ships had been shot down over the ocean by the rest of the ghost fleet.  
“Sid! Give me a boost?” He stared at her but cupped his hands. Maka backed up three paces before running right at the Port Master, she jumped and landed her right boot in his hands and with a grunt Sid sent her flying up into the air where her winds caught her. The rain was fiercer and the winds stronger; Maka twisted, her long coat tangling in her legs as her winds died. Sid watched horrified as she began to plummet to the sea.  
  
Maka regarded the rain as she fell before snapping her eyes shut and shooting straight up using the storm winds themselves to fly back up past the look out and through the clouds. The storm winds screeched, they did not like being controlled and kept fighting her as she spun through the clouds towards the sounds of the battle. But this was Maka’s specialty, controlling the uncontrollable and working with the impossible. She was a first class weather meister for a reason; no other mage could fly on storm winds.  
  
The sounds of cannons and men yelling was close as Maka broke through the storm clouds, there were three thunder towers rising above everything else. A ghost ship with black sails burst from the North tower with two more flanking it. Maka turned and let the winds drop her to skim the clouds as she scanned the ships for any sign of the cloud child. She wasn’t disappointed; the ship with black sails the others were chasing had unnatural cloud formations beginning to twist around it. Maka set her teeth and shot herself and the storm winds straight at the ship.  
  
The impact was jarring, Maka hit the main sail and took it down with her as she fell to the deck and the remaining sails were snapped at by the newly freed storm winds. The ship turned and almost ran into one of the pursuing ghost ships. She could hear the shouts of men as tried to get her breath back. She was caught and folded into the ruined black sail but as soon as she could breathe, Maka set to work.  
  
The men on board didn’t know what had hit their sail, many were still running to their battle stations to try and fight off the other ghost ships or trying to get the ship back on course, but everyone was knocked off their feet as a huge blast of wind shot out from under the sail. The sail flew up and in full white uniform stood a weather meister with her palms open. As the crew regained their feet they pulled their swords and guns but none of them could get close to her. Bullets whipped around her body to shoot back away from her in a stunning display of wind control. The water on deck froze and the men fell as she ran past to the foggy upper deck.  
  
Maka was breathing hard as she intensified the fog, the crew was in disarray and they were still under fire from the other ghost ships. The thunder head to the East gave a deep rumble when she ran head long into the cloud child. They toppled over and Maka landed on top of him, one hand behind his head to protect him. With a grunt she looked at him, he had grown into a man in the four years since she had last seen him, broad shoulders and strong arms had wrapped themselves around her waist. His white hair was long and soft between her fingers when he moved his head from her hand to look her in the eye.  
  
“Who the hell—“  
  
“Do you want to leave this ship?” Maka cut him off, she had wasted enough time.  
  
“I can’t.” He gestured to a cuff on his wrist. Maka placed a hand over it feeling the magic the bound him to the ship. She could break it, but she wouldn’t have enough magic left to control her flight back to the port. The ship was rocked with another blow.  
  
“But do you want to?” She stared at him. He wasn’t a child anymore, but he was still of the clouds and was meant to be free.  
  
“Yes.” His breath was hot on her cheeks.  
  
“Good.” Maka leaned forward and kissed him as she broke the cuff and its magic. His eyes shot open when he felt the magic containing him crumble and the fog they had been hiding in exploded. She leaned back when she realized they were no longer hidden, grabbed his hand and stood. She was panting hard as her eyes darted from him to the side of the ship. He blinked at her and nodded, willing to do whatever she asked. Maka could just see the top of the mast of one of the other ghost ships. She tugged on the cloud child’s hand, ran to the railing and jumped. He followed her with a curse and didn’t let go of her hand as they fell.  
  
His expression was priceless and Maka would have laughed if she hadn’t been so exhausted and still trying to control the winds around them. The ghost ship was farther off than she had anticipated and the storm winds were not cooperating with her. Maka clenched her teeth and forced the winds to support them over to the ship, landing was not going to be pretty. The cloud child gripped her hand harder as the ship rushed towards them at an alarming rate. She managed a counter wind to slow them down but they still hit the deck hard. Maka stood, heaving for air and blinking away the black spots in her vision and announced to the very surprised crew, “I am Weather Meister, Maka Albarn. This cloud child and I seek refuge from,” she faltered for a moment, the ghost ship with the black sail wasn’t named, “from that ship up there. Permission to board?” The cloud child was just sitting up as the girl’s knees gave out. He caught her in his arms and looked at the crew before a man with black hair with three white stripes running across answered meekly that permission was indeed granted.  
  
Maka woke up sore and with a headache. She was in a small bunk with a warm blanket tucked around her. “You’re awake.” She blinked, not sure how she’d missed his bright white hair in the darkness. “They said you’d exhausted your magic, I assume from breaking my cuff?” His voice was nice she decided. Not quite a rumble like thunder, but almost warm like an afternoon mist. She nodded and tilted her head to see him better in the low light. Maka decided he was quite handsome.  “Thank you.”  
  
“Your eyes are beautiful.” She smiled up at him she continued to mumble groggily, “Like a red sky. When I saw you that first time and I saw your eyes I promised that I would find you. And I’d set you free. No one is supposed to be tied up like that. And your eyes are never supposed to be that sad. Sunrise or sunset, I don’t want a sad red sky.” Maka was sleepy again and the man next to her bed scoffed. But before she completely drifted off she felt him brush her bangs away from her face and mutter gently that he thought she may have been the same girl he’d seen all those years ago.  
  
“I hoped that you would come and save me.”  
  
The next time Maka woke up she was alone and felt better, her head wasn’t spinning and while she was still sore she managed to get out of the bunk. She had been changed out of her white uniform and into a simple pair of breeches and an oversized white shirt that kept slipping down over one shoulder. Her feet were bare but the wood was smooth as she padded towards the noisy deck. The sun was too bright and it blinded Maka, there was a pause and then cheering when her eyes had adjusted and she looked back. The crew was celebrating and raised their pints in her direction; Maka looked behind her to make sure the captain wasn’t there, not sure as to why the crew would be toasting to her. There was a roar of laughter and the cloud child was pushed out of a group of men towards her. He tripped halfway across the deck on his loose fitting pants and stumbled into her, one arm reaching out to wind around her waist while he grinned down at her and rubbed the back of his neck. Her hands wound their way into his black shirt without her consent.

  
“You kinda wrecked their ship _._ Made everyone else’s life a lot easier, especially with me off it.”  
  
“What’s your name?” Maka blurted out before she could stop herself. The crew laughed again and a man with blue hair gave a particularly loud wolf whistle.  
  
“I’m Soul.” He smiled and his whole face lit up before he leaned down and kissed her.  
  
They were summoned to the captain’s quarters shortly after, but the cloud child Soul kept a firm arm around her shoulder and waved off the crew members who got too close. The captain, a man named Death the Kid greeted them and gestured for them to sit. “First, Maka Albarn, it is a pleasure to meet you.” She gave a small smile in return and nodded her head. “You gave us a bit of a fright. That one especially.” He waved at Soul who blushed and grumbled about winds. “But, on behalf of the ghost ships, we thank you. With your diversion and rescue of Soul, we were able to successfully capture the pirate Asura. He will be tried for his crimes including the kidnapping of a cloud child.” Soul huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
Maka nodded slowly, “While my original intention was to only free Soul, I am glad that I could aide in the capture.” Kid watched the clouds roll by the windows, they were making a slow descent to the port.  
  
“And may I ask just how you knew about Soul?” His golden eyes looked her over; she was not unfamiliar to the crews of the ghost ships, rumors of a weather meister who could control storm winds traveled quickly.  
  
“I saw the ships sail four years ago and I saw him tied to the mast. I entered the Academy the next day and have been following any leads I could gather about your whereabouts.” Soul watched her carefully; her exhaustion was catching up to her again.  
  
“Ah, the day Asura captured Soul. We have been tracking him the same way you have been tracking us then.” Maka stole a glance at Soul, he was scowling out the window and his shoulders were tense. “Soul, I would personally like to apologize for failing to rescue you for so long. And while I cannot give you back the past four years, if you would ever like a place aboard my ship you will always be welcome.” Soul kept his face carefully neutral and he thanked Kid.  
“If you’ll excuse us, I believe Maka is getting tired.” He stood from his chair in front of Kid’s desk and offered her a hand. She wanted to argue and continue to talk to Kid, but he was right, she was tired and Maka could tell that Soul did not want to be in the captain’s office any longer.

  
“By all means.” Kid politely gestured to the door. Maka accepted Soul’s hand and was led back onto the deck. The crew was now singing raunchy sailor songs as the beer continued to flow. Soul let a small fog slide off his shoulders to cover them as they made their way below deck; the crew would simply assume they were passing through a low flying cloud.  
  
“Are you alright?” He looked at her surprised by the question for a moment before he sighed.  
“Yeah, just at the same time no. I’d been a prisoner on that ship all that time. It’s a little weird to be around so many people who are happy.” Souls shook his head and looked past her for a moment, “and not only are they happy, they’re happy for me.” His eyes finally focused back on her. “Still trying to get used to that. While I was important to Asura, I wasn’t always treated well.” He sighed and Maka noticed the mist dancing around their feet.  
  
“You’re free. It’s over.” She stood on her tiptoes to place a gentle kiss to his cheek. She pulled away and shivered, it was cool below deck and her shirt was thin. Maka began to crawl into the bunk when Soul nudged her over. She questioned him with a quirk of her eyebrows but he gave a small smile and wrapped an arm around her, encouraging her to rest against him. He was warm and solid but the bunk was not meant to hold two people. After some adjusting, an elbow to the ribs and an accidental grope they settled with Maka draped over Soul’s chest and the blanket over them both.  
  
“He was afraid of you.” He whispered in her ear. “Asura. He was terrified of the idea that someone could control storm winds. It meant that my clouds would be useless.” She looked at him, but Soul kept his eyes shut. “I didn’t know that you and the girl in the meadow were the same person. But I always kind of hoped. You know, ‘cause those big green eyes of yours, they were all I really had to hope for.” Maka buried her head in the crook of his neck as he hugged her to him.  
  
They docked the next day and though Kid had offered both of them a place aboard the _Shinigami_ neither was quite ready to commit to the ghost ship. Soul stood a stride behind Maka when she shook the captain’s hand. “A cloud child and a weather meister, you two could make a ship very rich.” Maka laughed politely, declined and stepped back with Soul. They had spoken until the early hours of the morning and decided to stay together, he would need her help and she enjoyed his company despite his teasing.  
  
Sid stood at the dock with his jaw slack as Maka walked hand in hand with a tall white haired man. She laughed and introduced them. The two men shook hands and Sid slapped her on the back for worrying him. The Port Master invited them in for dinner and to stay the night. Dinner was a simple affair with Sid’s wife Nygus and they all took great pleasure in watching Soul try new foods or drinks that they could think of. Nygus kindly led them to their rooms which caused Soul to shoot Maka a concerned look. She smiled and nodded, understanding.  
  
Once they were both settled, Maka with the trunk she had left at Sid’s and Soul with some of Sid’s old clothing, she slipped out of her room and into Soul’s. He was sitting on the edge of the bed staring out the window at the sky. Sitting down next to him she rested her head against his shoulder. “Where do you want to go?”  
  
“Everywhere. But that meadow first. I want to go back there.” He answered after a moment.  
“Ok.” Maka curled on her side and waited for him to join her.  
  
“You’re ok with this?” Soul asked suddenly. “Don’t you have duties or family or something?” He ran a hand through already messy hair.  
  
Maka huffed and pulled him down to the bed with her. “I want to be here with you; however you need me to be. Yes, I’m fine with this. If the Academy were to call on me right now, which they would never dare, I would say I have a duty to the cloud child. But,” she could see him wanting to argue, “you are not just a duty to me.” She kissed his nose to keep him quiet. “The last time I saw my mother was the same day I saw you. And my papa? He’s not really in my life.” Her voice was soft and Soul pulled her close.  
  
“Alright then.” He pinched her when she rolled her eyes. Maka smiled at him, they’d figure it out.  
It was years before the ghost ships sailed their skies again. Soul and Maka had visited the meadow where she had stood in terrified awe and he had gazed down at her captive from the ship. They had traveled to the meadow on foot; Soul enjoyed walking and watching the clouds. As soon as Soul saw the meadow he decided he wanted to live there, with Maka, regardless of her protests and reasoning. “Maka, clouds aren’t supposed to want to stay in one place, but I never really got to be a cloud. Being forced to travel, I’ve never had a home.” She gave in when he kissed her forehead and whispered a soft “please” into her hair.  
  
She sent letters to the Academy and a letter to Kid to inform them of Soul’s request. To her surprise she received a letter from Kid before the Academy. His letter was courteous and wished them the best, he repeated the offer of positions aboard his ship, which made Maka shake her head at the paper. Soul chuckled at her and picked up the envelope causing another piece of paper to drop out. “What’s that?” She asked as a slow smile spread across his face.  
“The deed to the land.” Maka wasn’t sure she’d heard right until he picked her up and twirled her around laughing. The next day a letter arrived informing her that the land had been bought in her name and they would be receiving funds from the Academy to build a home in their meadow. Soul was so ecstatic that the cumulous clouds over the hotel they were in doubled in size.  
  
They had a comfortable house, a room for Maka and all of her books, a room for Soul to tinker with whatever caught his fancy, a warm kitchen and dining area, and a living room that they both enjoyed with its large windows overlooking the fields of wildflowers. Maka had questioned why they would need three bedrooms; they slept in the same bed and who would come visit them? Soul had shook his head and held her close. “They’re for the children.” Maka’s face had turned so red Soul burst out laughing until she hit him with her book exclaiming that it wasn’t funny damn it!  
  
They were married at the sky port by Sid in a small ceremony that amused Soul. Maka had rolled her eyes and said it was a paperwork and modesty thing, just a hoop they had to jump through. But Soul caught her staring at the silver ring he had given her with so much joy he thought his own heart might burst.  
  
Soul got his wish almost a year and a half after the house was complete. Maka had been standing in front of the living room window, a soft smile on her face as she placed a hand over her belly and nodded. Maka’s first pregnancy was trying on both of them but when their daughter was born with soft white hair and bright green eyes nothing else mattered. The first time Soul held his daughter and she clutched his finger with her tiny hand Soul was completely taken with her. Their daughter grew up playing with small fluffy clouds her father made for her and being read books by her mother.  
  
Maka would catch Soul staring at the clouds every so often. After putting their daughter to bed she joined him to watch the sunset, the sky was a warm red that stained the clouds. “Do you want to leave?” Her voice was soft, she’d never blame him for his nature, but she would miss him if he did decide to leave. He looked down at her horrified by the notion.  
  
“Maka, all I have ever wanted is right here! I have never been happier, why would I want to leave?” He kissed her soundly to make sure that she understood him as the first stars appeared in the sky, there wouldn’t be any storms that night.

 

 


End file.
